The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-08-18


Infidel.
THE HAMPToNs, Aug. THE Rev. T.
De Witt Talmage's sermon for to-day was
on the important subject of Life ana Fire
Insurance: the Christian Principles In
yClved." His ttXt was: "Let him appoint
officers over the land, and take up the fifth
part OF the land of Egypt in the seven
plenteouS years" Genesis Xii. "a.
These were the words of Joseph, the
President of the first life insurance COM
pany that the world ever saw. Pharaoh
had dream that distracted him. He
thought he stood on the banks of the River
Nile, and saw coming up out of the river
seven fat, sleek. glossy COWS, and they be-
gan to browse in the thick grass. Nothing
tTighttul about that. But after them,
coming out OF the same river, he saw seven
cows that were gaunt and starved, and the
worst looking COWS that had ever been seen
In the land, and IL the ierocity of hunger
they devoured their seven fat predecessors.
Pharaoh, the king sent for Joseph TO de-
cipher these midnight hieroglyphics.
Joseph made short work of it, and init
mated the seven fat COWS that came out of
the river are seven ye.rs with plenty to eat,
the seven emaciated COWS that followed
them are seven years with nothing to eat.
"Now, said Joseph, "let US take one-ifth
of the corn crop of the seven prosperous
years, and keep it as a provision for the
seven years in which there shall be no
corn CROP" The king took the counsel
and appointed Joseph. because of his in
teguty and public spiritedness, as the
President of the undertaking. The farmers
paid one-fifth of theirincome as a premium.
In all the towns and cities of the land
there were branch houses This great
Egyptian life insurance company had mill
ions of dollars as assets. After awhile the
dark days came and the whole nation would
have starved if it mad not been for The pro-
vision they had made for the future. But
now these suffering families had nothing
to do but to 60 up and collect the amount
Of their life policies. The Bible puts it in
one short phrase; an all the land Of
Egypt there WAS read" | say this was
the first life insurance company 1t was
divinely organized. 1t had in it all the ad-
vantages of the "whele life plan" of the
"tontine plan," of the reserved endow.
ment plan, and all the other good plans.
We are told that Rev. DR.. Anhate, of
Lincolnshire, England, originated the first
life insurance company in 1853. No! it is
as old as the corn cribs of Egypt; and God
himself was the author and originator. If
that we're not 80 l would not take your
time and mine in Sabbath discussion of
this subject. l feel it is a theme vital,
religious, and Of Infinite import, the morals
of life and fire insurance.
About ten or twelve years ago there was
great panic in life insurance which did |
good. Under the storm the untrustworth,
and bogus institutions were scattered, while !
the genuine were tested and firmly estab- |
lished, and where does the life insurance
institution stand to-day What amount of |
comfort, Of education, of moral and spir- |
ltual advantage is represented in tie simple |
Statistic that in this country the lie insur-
ance companies IN one year paid S7,U00,-
OOU TO the families of the bereft; and in five |
years they paid $500, ,0G0, coo to the families |
OF the berett; and are promising to pay
and hold themselves in readiness to ply /
81, 600, 600, 600 to the families of the bereft!
They have actually paid out more in |
dividends and death claims than they have
ever received in premiums. / know of |
what l speak. The life insurance COM
panies of this country paid more than ST.
QUO, 600 of taxes 10 the Government in five
years. So, instead of these companies be-
ing indebted 10 the land, the land is in
debted 10 them. To cry out against life /
insurance because here and there one COM
pany has behaved badly is as absurd as it /
would be for a man to burn down ] 200 |
acres of harvest field in order TO kill the
moles and potato bugs--as preposterous as |
a man who should blow up a crowded |
steamer in mid Atlantic for the purpose of !
the baInacles on the bottom OF
he hulk.
But what does tho Bible say in regard to
his subjec.? Ii the Bible favors the in
will favor it; il the Bible de-
1ounces 1t, will denounce it. In addition
% the forecast of Joseph in the text, call
'our attention to P0ul's comparison. Here
s one man who, through neglect, fails to
his lamily while he lives, or after
le dies. Here Is another man, who abhors
he Scriptures and rejects God. Which of |
hose men is the wor, e? Well, you say,
he latter. Paul SAYS the former. Iaui
ays that man who neglectg to care for |
lis household is more obnoxious than |
nan who rejects the Scriptures: "He that
,rovldeth not for his own, and especially
hose of his own household, is worse than |
n lntidel." Life insurance companies
elp most Of us to provide for our families
tter We are gone; but, if we have the
money to pay the premiums and do not pay
hem, we have no right to expect mercy at !
he hand of God in the Judgment. We
re worse than Tom Paine, worse than
oltalre, and worse than Shaftesbury.
he Bible declares tive are worse t
han an infidel. After the certif- I
ate of denth has been made out {
nd thirty or sixty days have passed, and '
be officer of the life insurance COMPANY 0
ONES into the bereft household and pays c
own the hard cash on ON insurance policy, j
nat ofticer OF the company is performing !
positively religious rite, according to the !
postle James, who says "Irue religion ,
I'd undefled before God and the Father =
this: TO visit the fatherless and the J.
idow in their affection, and SO on. The y
ligion of Christ proposes to take care of Il
e temporal wants of the people as we'll y
the spiritual. When Hezekiah was =
ing the injunction came to him: "Set =
y house in order, for thou shalt die and ! !;
It live." That injunction in our day -
)uld mean: Make your will; settle up :,
ur accounts; make things plain; don't !,
ceive your heirs with rolls of worthless u
ming stock; don't deceive them with O.
eds for Western lands that will never .
eld any crop but chills and fever; don't Il
i've for them notes that have been out W
we'd, and second mortgages on property ~
at will not pay the first" "Set thy house =! u
order" That is, fix up things, SO your ~ ~
ing out of the world may make as little =
nsternation as possible. See the lean ~ ~
tile deyouring the fat cattle, and in the " "
40 Of plenty prepare for the time of =,
mt. The difficulty is, when men think AZ AZ
their death, they ore afraid to think of ~ ~
only in connection with their spiritual 30 40
flare, and not of the devastation in the III III
usehold which will come becatise of III III
'ir emigration from it. 1t is meanlv % %
fish for you to be 80 absorbed in the " ~.
aven to which you are going that you ", "
get what is to become Of your wife and
ldren after you are dead. You can 90 ~ ~
of this world without leaving dollar 4. I,
yet die happy if you could not pro- Oh m
q for them you can trust them in the ~